Sweet Greek Torts

Sweet Greek TortsSweet Greek TortsSweet Greek Torts

Sweet Greek Torts

Sweet Greek TortsSweet Greek TortsSweet Greek Torts
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  • More
    • Home
    • Tour Our Facility
    • Hatchling Husbandry
    • Breeding Testudo graeca
    • Available Greeks
    • Armeniaca
    • Buxtoni
    • Cyrenaica
    • Ibera
    • Graeca
    • Marokkensis
    • Nabeulensis
    • Soussensis
    • Terrestris
    • Zarudnyi
    • Our Friends
    • Pancake Tortoise
  • Home
  • Tour Our Facility
  • Hatchling Husbandry
  • Breeding Testudo graeca
  • Available Greeks
  • Armeniaca
  • Buxtoni
  • Cyrenaica
  • Ibera
  • Graeca
  • Marokkensis
  • Nabeulensis
  • Soussensis
  • Terrestris
  • Zarudnyi
  • Our Friends
  • Pancake Tortoise

Hatchling Husbandry

Here you will learn what products we use and how we care for all of our hatchlings.


We keep all of our species, and subspecies, separated. This allows us to provide the absolute best care and ensure great health to all of our tortoises.

Products We Use

Enclosure

UVA Basking Lighting

Enclosure

Husky 54-gallon Tote (for hatchlings up to 6 months old)

Homemade Tortoise Table (for babies up to 1-1.5 years old)

Substrate

UVA Basking Lighting

Enclosure

Organic topsoil (not pictured)

Zoo Med Eco Earth Coco Coir

Zoo Med Forest Floor

UVA Basking Lighting

UVA Basking Lighting

UVA Basking Lighting

Zoo Med 75-Watt Basking Bulb

Zoo Med 8.5" Reflector Dome Fixture

Zoo Med Light Stand

UVB Lighting

Nighttime Heat

UVA Basking Lighting

Arcadia fluorescent T5 HO lights and fixtures

Humid Hides

Nighttime Heat

Nighttime Heat

Sterilite 2.5 Quart "flip top" box (for 1-2 hatchlings)

Sterilite 6 Quart box (for 3 or more hatchlings)

Zoo Med New Zealand Sphagnum Moss

Nighttime Heat

Nighttime Heat

Nighttime Heat

Ceramic heat emitter

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Vivarium Electronics TH-100 Digital Thermometer + Hygrometer with Probe

Timer for Lights

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Zoo Med Repticare Day/Night Timer

Humidifier

Thermometers and Hygrometers

Other Hides

Zoo Med Reptifogger

Other Hides

Enclosure Wifi Camera

Other Hides

Half Log Hides

Enclosure Wifi Camera

Enclosure Wifi Camera

Enclosure Wifi Camera

Wansview Wifi 720P Camera

Enclosure Set-up

Substrate

50/50 mixture of organic topsoil and Coco Coir.

Depth of 5-6" (this allows burrowing).

Top layer of Forest Floor.

Misted daily to maintain humidity.

Temperatures

Basking spot is 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit (35-38 degrees Celsius) during the day.


Ambient temperature on cooler side is 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) during the day.


We do not, nor do we recommend, using heat at night. Testudo graeca hatchlings need to cool down at night, same as the adults. The ambient overnight temperatures in our hatchling enclosures are usually 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the event that temps are too low, we provide a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) to keep the temperature more reasonable.


We do not use, and also discourage the use of, "heat pads" or "heat rocks." Those items are a risk to burn the tortoise, and are a fire danger if they get too hot inside the enclosure.

Humid Hide

Learn how to make your own humid hide.

Humidity

Some subspecies such as the ibera require higher humidity. We keep the humidity in their enclosures at 80%.


Other subspecies such as the terrestris, marokkensis, soussensis, nabeulensis, graeca (Moorish), and cyrenaica, need drier and hotter environments and cannot handle excessive moisture. To avoid respiratory illnesses and other health concerns, we keep their enclosures warm and dry with very little humidity.

Other Hides and Decor

At least two darker, cooler hides are provided.


Other decor provides variety of terrain and landscape.

Security Camera

A security camera allows us to check in on our hatchlings at any time.

Hatchling Care

Daily Soaking

Calcium and Supplements

Food and Water

We soak all of our hatchlings every morning in warm water for 20 minutes. This helps keep them hydrated and maintains healthy kidney function.

Food and Water

Calcium and Supplements

Food and Water

A variety of food is provided, with something different for breakfast each morning. Food is provided after soaking, and is left so hatchlings can graze.


Various items we feed include: natural weeds and flowers that we grow outdoors from seed, Mazuri (moistened), spineless prickly pear cactus (and opuntia cactus fruit), and "store bought" organic leafy greens (dandelion, romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole, endive, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and radicchio).


We also like to serve a "gel kit" we purchase from Kapidolo Farms. These gel kits are easy to make and can be customized to provide different flavors.


We never feed, and do not recommend feeding, "grocery store fruits." Their high sugar content is not healthy and the tortoises have difficulty digesting them. For treats, our tortoises get flowers (hibiscus and Mexican petunia are their favorites).


Fresh water is provided using a small terra cota plant saucer. It's shallow to prevent drowning, and wide enough to crawl into, should the hatchlings wish to soak themselves.

Calcium and Supplements

Calcium and Supplements

Calcium and Supplements

We make our own "Calcium Cakes" that we leave in each enclosure for our tortoises to chew on when they want to. They are made using Calcium Carbonate powder that we purchase from Kapidolo Farms.


There are a variety of dried greens and flowers that our torts love having mixed into their food a few times a week. These can also be purchased from Kapidolo Farms. We highly recommend the dried hibiscus!


We also use Mediterranean Graze once a week to sprinkle on top of their breakfast, which we get from TortRescue

Enclosure Maintenance

Enclosure Maintenance

Calcium and Supplements

We spot clean our enclosures daily, usually while hatchlings are soaking. We remove any feces and uneaten crumbs of food.

Misting

Enclosure Maintenance

Handling

We use a pump sprayer to mist each enclosure (some daily, others weekly). This imitates a light rain.

Handling

Enclosure Maintenance

Handling

We only handle our hatchlings when soaking them, cleaning their enclosures, or the occasional visit to the Vet when needed.


We otherwise leave them alone in their habitats to prevent stressing them out. 

Make Your Own Humid Hide

Materials Needed

Mark and Cut the Entrance

Mark and Cut the Entrance

- Plastic container. (We buy ours at Home Depot).

- Ruler

- Sharpie marker

- Cutting blade

- Sphagnum moss

Mark and Cut the Entrance

Mark and Cut the Entrance

Mark and Cut the Entrance

Use the ruler and Sharpie marker to draw the entrance to be cut.

Using the cutting blade, slice gently along the marked line.

BE CAREFUL. Not only are you using a sharp blade, but plastic can crack.

Fill with Sphagnum Moss

Mark and Cut the Entrance

Fill with Sphagnum Moss

Take handfuls of sphagnum moss, wet in warm water, squeeze any excess water, and place in the humid hide until it's almost full.

Place Into Enclosure

Place Into Enclosure

Fill with Sphagnum Moss

Keep the sphagnum moss moist and warm at all times.

Easy Access

Place Into Enclosure

Easy Access

These particular containers are great because of their pop-open lids, allowing for easy access to tortoises, maintenance of the moss, and cleaning.

Our Tortoise Tables

Made using OSB Sheathing boards. The inside is coated in Flex Seal (to waterproof and prevent warping and molding). We lined the inner walls with vinyl tiles for extra waterproofing and provide a nicer look.

All the needed components are added: substrate, water dish, humid hide, thermometer/hygrometer readers, lights, CHE, camera, and random decor.

Tables are set up side-by-side to share the UVB light.

We've added a shower curtain over the top of the tables to maintain the enclosed style habitat. Hot & humid!!!

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